Island



G. N. TAYLOR.

TENSION DEVICE AND YARN CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY23,1921.

1,424,124. Pa J ly 25, 1922.

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UNITED s'rArgs PATENT oerres.

GEORGE N. TAYLOR, OF EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL VL INDING- COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSA orrUsErrs.

TENSION DEVICE AND YARN CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgntgd July 25 1922 Application filed May 23, 1921. Serial No. 471,765.

T 0 at? whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, Gnonen N. TAYLOR, of East Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices and Yarn Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My lnvention is an improved tension-device and yarn-cleaner for use with winding machines and other textile apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the type specified" adapted to apply a uniform tension on the thread or yarn passing therethroughwhile also having a more sensitive yielding-action to allow thepassage of knots, enlargements or irregularities in the yarn without subjecting the latter to undue resistance or strain.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for cleaning or clearing the yarn as it passes through the device to remove specks, motes or slubs therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tension-device and yarn-cleaner of simplified construction which. is economical to manufacture, convenient to operate and proof against derangement or getting out of order.

The manner and means for carrying out these improvements are fully set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

F ig. 4;, a side elevation of the yarn-cleaning blade or scraper illustrating its relation.

to the bottom-plate or base of the device whichis shown in cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the several views of the drawings, my improved device is preferably constructed with its parts stamped out and struck up from sheet-metal to adapt it for economical manufacture. The main support for the device consists of a horizontal base-plate 5 having its rearward end bent down at right-angles to its main plane to provide a vertical flange 6. The base-plate .5 1s adapted to set down against the top of a rectangular rod or bar? with its flange 6' abutting the rearward side thereof, and beneath the plate is an angle-shaped bracket or clamp 8 which fits around the opposite sides of the rod 7 and is secured to the plate 5 and its flange 6 bymeans of suitable screws 9 and 10. The supporting-rod 7 extends horizontally across the front of the machine on which the device is used and may be held suitable standards or brackets mounted on the frame of the machine, but not herein illustrated. As shownin Fig. 1, the plate 5' is shaped with a circular contour on its forward edge and is extended at one side to form a finger or horn 11. The rearward side of the finger 11 has a straight edge leading into an offset, curved slot or crook 12 which provides a guiding passage or entrance for the yarn to direct it into place between the tension-disks to be later described. From the slot or guideway 12 the side of the plate 5 extends rearwardly at a slight angle whereby when the yarn is drawn across its edge it will have a tendency As illustrated in Fig. 3, the disks 15 and 16 are struck up from relatively thin sheet- Inetal and shaped to a generally concavoconvex form in cross-section, with axial holes 17 for receiving the spindle 14:, and oppositely-flaringrims 18 at their periph-v eries. The oppositely-flaring rims 18 form" a V-shaped entrance for the yarn to direct it into place between the disks, and the adjacent outer positions of the disks bear against the yarn to apply the resistance or drag which causes the tensioning action. The tension disks 15, 16 are pressed together to cause them to bear against the yarn with a yielding pressure by means of a .combination of spring and weights arranged as next described. The lower disk 16 is mounted pn the spindle 14 with its rim 18 set into a circular counterbore 19 on the top of the plate 5, the edge of the rim being thus recessed beneath the face of the plate so that the yarn will ride up across it without obstruction in entering it between the disks. The upper disk 15 is mounted on the spindle 1% in a similar manner and sets down against the lower disk in opposite relation thereto. Surrounding the spindle 14: above the disk 15 is a relatively fine. helical spring 20 arranged with its lower end bearing against the disk. Above the spring 20 is a sleeve 21. surrounding the spindle 141 and adapted to slide freely thereon. The sleeve 21 is formed with an enlargement at its lower end providing a tubular skirt 22 surrounding the spring 21 to serve as an enclosing shield or guard therefor. The enlargement 22 also provides a shoulder 23 at its upper end which serves as a ledge or abutment for supporting one or more disk-shaped washers or weights 25 set down over the sleeve 21.

Secured to the upper face of the plate 5 is a relatively flat guard-riua- 27 which encircles the peripheries of the disks 15 and 16 to serve as a means for directing the yarn into place therebetween. The guard-ring 27 is formed at one side with a portion of its circumference depressed slightly below the plane of its main portion to adapt it to set down against the top of the plate 5 whereby it may be secured fixedly in place thereon by means of suitable rivets or screws 28. At the opposite side of the ring 27 is an ear 29 bent upwardly in vertical posit-ion to adapt it to serve as support for n. elbow-shaped arm 30. The arm 30 carries a stud or rivet 31 by means of which it is pivoted to the ear 29 to adapt itto swing thereon. The horizontal portion of the arm 30 reaches inwardly across the top of the bearing-spindle 1d and is provided with a perforation 32 at its end adapted to snap over the upper rounded end of the spindle. Through this arrangement the arm 30 acts as a retainer for the weight-holding sleeve 21. 20 prevent it from being lifted of]? from the spindle 14. The arm 30 may be released from the end of the spindle 14 and swung to. one side thereof to allow for placing the weights 25 on the sleeve or holder 21; and when it is snapped back into place again, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it serves as a guard to prevent accidental removal of the weights.

At the rearward side of the plate 5 is an upstanding car as, see Figs. 1. 2 and 1. on which the yarn-cleaner or scraper-blade 35 is mounted. The blade 35 consists of a flat strip of sheet-metal supported. on the vertical. ear 34 with its lower edge set slightly raised above. the top of the plate 5. [At its outer or left-hand end the blade 35 overhangs the side of the plate 5, see Fig. 4, and is provided with an inwardly inclined side 36 adapted to guide the yarn metal and provided with flanges 4:1 bent back to overlap the sides of the ear 3 1. The blade 35 is fastened to the slide 410 by means of screws 42 inserted through enlarged holes d3 in the blade and screwed into the slide. The enlarged holes 13 allow the blade 35 to be tilted on the slide 1O when the screws .42 are loosened whereby to adjust its lower edge in parallelism with the top of the plate 5; while a larger screw 44: extends through a slot 15 in the blade and slide and screws into the ear 34 to serve as a means for clamping the blade in fixed position after its adjustment. The method of operation of the complete device is as follows:

The device is attached to the rod 7 in position for the yarn or thread to deliver therefrom to the winding machine or other apparatus, not herein. illustrated. and usually the yarn draws off from a source of supply. such a cop or bobbin. placed below the tension-device. In threading the device the yarn 3 represented by dot-anddash lines is drawn up from the supplybobbin and laid across the plate 5 in back of the linger 11 so that it will draw into the guideway 12. The yarn is next drawn for ward and passed around in under the guard-ring 27 and then back. in under the. cleaner-blade whence it is led to the winding-spindle or other element of the machine by which it is to be taken up. As the yarn is drawn taut it will be acted upon by the guideway 12 and the guard-ring 21' to direct it into place between the tensiondisks 15 and 16 so that it will lead across the faces of the disks and around the spindle 1 1 with a slight bend as illustrated in 1. The cleaner-blade 35 is next adjusted to provide that the slot 37 beneath its lower edge is of proper width to allow the yarn to pass freely therethrougln. while at the same time adapting! the edge of the blade to bear against the yarn to scrape off any motes, specks or foreign substances adhering thereto. The required number of tension-weights 25 are placed on the weightholder or sleeve 21 to apply the amount of tension required and the device is then ready for operation.

As the yarn Q is taken up by the winding machine or other apparatus it will feed between the tension-disks 15 and 16 with the As shown in Fig. 4, the blade 35- latter applying a slight resistance to its draft. As the yarn draws through the disks l5 and '16 toward their central axis in one direction and away from the axis in another direction it will have a tendency to set up a rotative action of the disks about the spindle 14 whereby to constantly alter the point of contact of the yarn at the peripheries of the disks to prevent wearing grooves therein.

A particular feature of improvement in the present device is the arrangement for taking the load of the tension-weights on the spring 20 which is interposed between the weight-holder 21 and the upper disk 15. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide for a more resilient action and a quicker relief of the pressure of the disks on the yarn when a knot or enlargement passes through the device. Heretofore it has been the usual practice to arrange the tensiondisks with the pressure weights acting'directly against them, and it is obvious that in order to separate or force thedisks apart to allow the passage of a knot or enlargement therebetween it is necessary to raise or lift the weights bodily with the upper disk. The weights are naturally subject to the effect of considerable inertia and hence do not respond quickly and sensitively to the action of the yarn when it is required to force the disks apart; consequently in devices of this type having the weights bearing directly against the disks the resistance to the separation of the disks is so great as to strain and sometimes break a fine thread or filament. In my present improved arrangement the tendency of a knotor enlargement in the yarn to open the disks is resisted only by the relatively light spring 20, and hence'the disks will yield quickly and sensitively without imposing undue strain on the yarn; Stated briefly, the present improvement provides for a more sensitive and quickly-re sponsive yielding action or relief of pressure of the disks on the running yarn, to allow the passage of knots and enlargements therethrough, and hence the danger ofstrain or breakage of the yarn is practically elimi nated. Furthermore, since the weights are not raised and lowered at each rise and fall of the upper disk there is less tendency to set up a chattering or vibrating action of the weights and therefore the pressure of the disks on the yarn does not fluctuate so that the tension applied thereto remains more constant and uniform.

In addition to these advantages as above pointed out my improved device is also designed for ease and convenience of operation, particularly as regards the automatic threading of the yarn thereinto, and the means for retaining it in predetermined position to secure the proper operative effect thereon. It is also to be observed that the improved yarn-cleaner or scraper-device provides for more convenient and accurate adjustment of the scraping-element to increase theefficiency of the apparatus for the purpose intended.

While I have herein illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the de vice it is to be understood that modifications be made in its structure and arrange ment without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; therefore, without limiting myself precisely to the present disclosure, I claim:

1. In a tension-device, the combination of a tension-element adapted to bear against a running yarn to cause resistance to its draft, gravity-operated means for applying pressure on the tension-element to cause it to act on the yarn, and resilient means interposed between the gravity-means and the tension element to adapt the latter to yield without overcoming the inertia of the gravity-means.

2. In a tension-device the combination of a tension-element adapted to bear against a: running yarn to apply tension thereto, 'a weight for applying pressure to the tension element to cause it to act on the yarn, and resilient means interposed between the weight and the tension-element to allow the latter to yield freely without moving the weight when a knot or enlargement passes through the tension-device.

3; In a tension-device, the combination of a pair oftension-elements adapted to bear against a running yarn passing therebetweem gravity-operated means for applying pressure to the tension-elements to cause them to act on the yarn, and resilient means interposed between the gravity-means and the tension-elements to allow a yielding action of the latter without overcoming the inertia of the gravity-means.

4. In a tension-device, the combination with a pair often'sion-elements, of a weight for applying pressure to the tension-elements to cause themto bear against the yarn to apply tension thereto. and a spring interposed between the weight and the tension-ele ments, said spring adapted to yield to allow separation of the tension-elements without moving the weight. Y

5. A tension-device comprising a pair of rotatable disks adapted to bear againsta yarn drawing therebetween, a weight for applying pressure to the disks to cause them to act on the yarn to apply resistance to its draft, and a spring interposed between the weight and the tension-elements to adapt the latter to yield to allow the passage there through of knots or irregularities in the yarn without moving the weight.

6. A tension-device comprising a spindle, a pair of disks rotatable on the spindle and arranged to bear against the yarn running between them, weights slidable on the spindle to apply pressure on the disks, and a spring interposed between the weights and the disks to provideior a sensitive yielding action of the latter without raising the weights.

7. A tension-device comprising tensi0nelements adapted to bear against a running yarn to apply resistance to its draft, a Weight-holder adapted to apply pressure to the disks to cause them to act on the yarn, weights on said holder, and resilient means interposed between the weight-holder and the tension-elements to adapt the latter to yield without moving the weights.

8. A tension-device comprising a spindle, tension-disks mounted in opposed relation on the spindle to adapt them to bear against a yarn drawing therebetween, a weightholder slidable on the spindle, weights on said holder, and a spring interposed between the weight-holder and the disks to allow the latter to yield without moving the weights.

9. A tension-device comprising a spindle, disks mounted in superimposed relation on said spindle to adapt them to bear against a yarn drawing therebetween, a sleeve slidable on the spindle, weights adapted to be mounted on the sleeve, and a spring surrounding the spindle between the sleeve and the disks to transmit the pressure of the weights to the disks. v

10. A tension-device comprising a spindle, a pair of tension-disks mounted onlsaid spindle to adapt them to bear against a yarn drawing therebetween, a spring surrounding the spindle above the upper disk, a sleeve slidable on the spindle and provided with a shouldered enlargement at its lower end arranged to enclose the spring, and weights held on the sleeve abutting its enlarged shouldered portion.

11. In a tension-device, the combination of a base-plate formed with a circular recess on its upper face, a spindle projecting upwardly from said plate, a pair of tensiondisks mounted on said spindle, said disks having flaring flanges at their peripheries with the edge of the flange of the lowermost disk resting within the recess of the baseplate, and weights slidable on the spindle to apply pressure to the upper disk to adapt it to bear against the yarn drawing between the disks.

12. In a tension-device, the combination with a support, of a spindle projecting upwardly from the support, a pair of tensiondisks mounted on said spindle and formed with outwardly fiarin rims at their peripheries, means for apd ying pressure on the disks to cause them to act on the yarn drawing between them, and a guard-ring mounted on the support and surrounding the peripheries of the disks in close proximity thereto whereby to act to direct the yarn into position between the disks.

13. In a tension-device, the combination with a support, of a spindle projecting from said support, a pair of tension-disks mounted on the spindle, means slidable on the spindle to adapt it to apply pressure to the disks to cause the latter to bear against the yarn passing between the disks, and an elbowshaped arm hinged to the support and adapted to engage the end of the spindle to retain the pressure-means in place on the spindle.

14. In a tension-device, the combination with a base-plate provided with a finger projecting from the side thereof and a curved guideway out into the side of the plate at the rear of the finger, a spindle projecting upwardly from the plate, tensiondisks mounted on said spindle and provided with oppositely flaring rims at their peripheries, and a guard-ring surrounding the rims of the disks in raised position above the plate to direct the yarn leading through the guideway to cause it to enter between the flaring rims of the disks.

15. In a tension-device, the combination with a base-plate having an upstanding ear at one side, of a spindle projecting upwardly from the plate, tension-disks mounted on said spindle to adapt them to bear against the yarn drawing therebetween, aslide slidable on the ear of the plate, a yarn-cleaning blade adjustable on said slide to adapt .its edge to be set in parallel relation with the top of the plate, and means to clamp the slide against the earwith the blade adjusted in spaced relation to the plate to provide a slot for the yarn drawing from the tensiondisks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE N. TAYLOR. 

